ZeeHubPreliminary EPR readiness brief
This is a sample packaging EPR gap report, the kind you get free. Every name and number below is illustrative.
Scope of this brief
No packaging documents, registrations, exemptions or prior filings were reviewed. Obligations, completeness and fees remain to be confirmed.
What we know, what we estimate, what is next
Each row starts from something the brand told us. Estimates are labeled as scenario assumptions where they are not measured.
| What you told us | What we estimate | What remains unknown | What happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| We sell packaged food into Oregon, Colorado and California. | These three programs are likely to apply. Exemptions are possible and have not been checked. | Whether the brand is a producer in each state, whether any exemption applies, and who the registered producer is. | Confirm registrations, earlier submissions and each program’s next deadline and data year with CAA. |
| About 420 SKUs, with packaging specs held in spreadsheets and supplier PDFs. | Scenario assumption: about three packaging components per SKU, so roughly 1,260 component records to map. This is not a measurement. | The actual component count, components shared across SKUs, and which SKUs are discontinued. | Map SKUs to components from your item master and packaging use list. |
| About 60 packaging suppliers. | Scenario assumption: each supplier covers one or more components. Reply quality will vary by supplier. | Which suppliers hold current spec sheets, and which components are multi-material. | Request component specs from each supplier by email, and follow up on anything missing. |
| We have last year’s units sold by state. | Units supplied into each state, not national totals, set the weight reported for that state. | Whether the units match the data year a program asks for, and whether any units reach a state through a distributor. | Confirm the data year, then join units by state to component weights. |
| We registered in California last year, we think. | Nothing can be estimated here. No registration record was reviewed. | Registration status and any earlier submission in each state. | Confirm with CAA before any reporting work starts. |
State by state: next date and required action
Dates match the state table on zeehub.ai/epr/, reviewed on November 8, 2026. Confirm registrations, earlier submissions and each program’s next deadline and data year with CAA.
| State | Next deadline or date, as published | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 2027 fees are invoiced in two halves, January and July (CAA 2027 Oregon fee schedule). | Confirm your registration and earlier submissions. Confirm the data year for the next report. |
| Colorado | Fees are live. Next invoice January 2027. | Confirm your registration and earlier submissions. Confirm the data year for the next report. |
| California | 2027 fees are invoiced in two halves, January and July (CAA 2027 California fee schedule). The 2026 registration and supply report deadline was May 31. | Confirm your registration, earlier submissions and the next deadline and data year with CAA. |
| Washington | Early fees for 2027 were published October 1, 2026. The invoice date has not been announced. | Confirm your PRO membership and the next invoice date with CAA. |
| Maryland | Simplified reports yearly. Cost reimbursement starts July 1, 2028; fees may start earlier. | Confirm your registration and that the yearly report is on your calendar. |
| Minnesota | Simplified reports yearly. Fees start February 2029. | Confirm your PRO membership and that the yearly report is on your calendar. |
| Maine | No reporting deadline yet. The stewardship organization is not yet contracted. | Confirm the program’s next deadline with CAA and the state agency when timing is set. |
Component level in, material category out
ZeeHub collects data at component level. Each tray, film, cap and case is its own record with a material, a weight, a supplier and a source document. State reports are aggregated by material category under each state’s rules, so the component records stay available if a category assignment is corrected.
Open-gap register: first items to confirm
These are open questions, not findings. Nothing has been requested or reviewed yet. In a real brief the register is built from the brand’s own supplier list.
| Supplier | Component | Open question to confirm | Owner | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield Films | Lid film | Multi-material composition or reporting category is unclear | Supplier | Request the film structure and layer materials. |
| Cascade Board Co. | Tray | Multi-material composition or reporting category is unclear | Supplier | Request the board spec, including any coating or lining. |
| Prairie Corrugated | Shipper case | Component weights lack a documented basis | Supplier | Request the weight and how it was measured. |
| Summit Print | Sleeve | Component weights lack a documented basis | Supplier | Request the weight and how it was measured. |
| Delta Closures | Cap | Component weights lack a documented basis | Supplier | Request the weight per unit and the unit of measure. |
| Ridgeway Labels | Label | Multi-material composition or reporting category is unclear | Supplier | Request the label construction and adhesive details. |
One fee example: why the category matters
A fictional 38 g paperboard tray, with 100,000 units supplied into Oregon. This counts units supplied into that one state, not national sales.
| Reporting category (Oregon 2027 schedule) | Rate per pound | Weight supplied into Oregon | Fee on this component |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/Fiber: Paperboard | $0.05 | about 8,378 lb | $418.88 |
| Paper/Fiber: Polycoated Paperboard | $0.34 | about 8,378 lb | $2,848.37 |
The same tray, the same weight, about seven times the fee, depending on the category. The lower rate applies only when the packaging qualifies; the risk runs both ways: guess wrong and you overpay, or under-report. Fees shown are for this one component only, from the final fee per pound in the CAA Oregon 2027 producer fee schedule (Paper/Fiber: Paperboard and Polycoated Paperboard). Confirm current rates with CAA.
Who provides what
| Who | What they provide |
|---|---|
| Suppliers | Specs for each component: material, weight, coatings, recycled content, and the document that shows each. |
| The brand | The SKU list, packaging use for each SKU, units supplied by state, registrations and prior submissions. |
| ZeeHub | Requests the specs, reads what comes back, checks it, joins it to your SKUs and units, and keeps the gap register. |
What 30 days can look like
If the brand shares its SKU list, packaging use, units by state and supplier contacts, and suppliers reply, then within 30 days the brand has two things: a reviewed dataset for the components covered, and an open-gap register with an owner and a next step for each component still open. Components still waiting on a supplier stay on the register.
See where your packaging data stands.
For consultants: bring one client project.